Tag: Germany

Gap between domestic and cross-border e-commerce grows wider, says EU report

Posted by | Jun 20, 2008 | |

EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva today announced the results of a new EU wide survey on e-commerce and cross border trade. The figures show that even though e-commerce is taking off at national level, cross-border e-commerce is failing to keep pace. From 2006 to 2008, the share of all EU consumers that have bought at least one item over the internet has increased significantly (from 27pct to 33 pct) whilst cross border e-commerce is stable (6pct to 7pct). The pattern is similar for those with internet access at home – 56pct of consumers with internet at home have made a purchase (in any country including their own) by e-commerce compared to 50pct in 2006, while only 13pct (of those with internet access at home) made a cross-border e-commerce purchase compared to 12pct in 2006.
“These figures underline how much work we still have to do to boost confidence in the online internal market” said European Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva. “Consumers and retailers are beginning to embrace e-commerce at national level but internal market barriers still persist online. The potential of the online internal market to deliver greater choice and lower price to consumers and new markets for retailers is considerable. We need to redouble our efforts to tackle the remaining borders.”
Amongst retailers, the cross-border potential of e-commerce seems not to have been fulfilled: 51pct of EU27 retailers sell via the internet, but only 17 pct of e-commerce revenue of those who sell cross-border stems from cross-border sales – as compared to 16pct in 2006. There appears to be a lack of confidence in cross-border shopping on both sides of the market, although consumer confidence appears to be growing: while 37pct of consumers said they would be more confident making online purchases from sellers/providers located in their own country, 57pct said they are equally or even more confident making purchases online from sellers in another EU country. This figure is up by 8pct compared to the 2006 survey.
The report published today was compiled from two Eurobarometer surveys on Businesses and Consumer attitudes to cross border trade. Data gathering was carried out in February – March 2008 amongst more than 26.000 consumers and 7.200 businesses in the 27 EU-countries and Norway.

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Roberts Europe teams up with e-kurier.net for European capacity

Posted by | Jun 19, 2008 | |

Time-critical freight logistics company Roberts Europe has signed a partnership agreement with German-based online freight capacity platform “e-kurier.net” to increase its available capacity and generate more business for the courier platform members.

The cooperation with e-kurier.net is part of Roberts Europe’s expansion plan in Germany including restructuring and investment in state-of-the-art automating systems. With the agreement, the company aims at integrating the e-kurier.net solutions in its new planning systems.

Under the partnership, Roberts Europe will have access to spare capacity offered by the platform’s 1,800 German and European members, which will be mostly empty return journeys. It expects to optimise its shipping capacity and thus reduce costs for customers. In return, e-kurier.net’s courier companies will increase their volumes through Roberts Europe’s sales and marketing activities.

The automation systems of both companies are now connected to each other so that Robert Europe can book free shipping space.

Fred Snippe, owner and CEO of Roberts Europe, commented: “e-kurier.net and its members are absolute professionals. We complement each other in our core competences and can therefore achieve a strong win-win situation for all parties.”

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Deutsche Post to gradually give up own outlets

Posted by | Jun 19, 2008 | |

Deutsche Post World Net AG. plans to gradually give up running its own postal service outlets over the coming years to reduce costs, a spokesman for the company said, confirming an earlier report in German newspaper Westfalen-Blatt.

But the spokesman said that the branches will not be closed. Instead, they will be run as ‘partner branches’, which are commonly integrated into retail stores.

The company previously said it will retain about 100 of its 750 own branches.

There are some exceptions, though, the spokesman said, in places where there is no retail outlet or gas station that could house a postal service desk.

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Appel Discusses DPWN's Prospects in China

Posted by | Jun 18, 2008 | |

CEO Frank Appel has implied that DHL Express has 40 pct of the Chinese international express market and that his principal interest is in expanding the German global logistics group’s business in that country.

Appel discussed a number of the issues which have thrust his company into the headlines on both sides of the Atlantic. He continued to dodge questions about redundancies at the DHL hub in Wilmington, Ohio, following the company’s recently-announced restructuring of its US operations but stated that land transport business in North America was profitable. He also described himself as “not in any haste” on the issue of the Deutsche Post Bank sale, despite rumours that a number of offers have already been received and that a deal might be agreed within a few weeks.

Appel was more forthcoming about his company’s prospects in China, where he implied that DHL Express had a market-leading position. When journalists suggested that DHL Express controlled roughly 40 pct of the international express delivery market in China he replied that “what is being mentioned isn’t totally wrong”. He went on to say that he “saw no essential need to expand the company’s market share” in the cross-border express business.

However, it is in logistics that DPWN sees the most business development potential where China is concerned. Appel said the Chinese logistics market was highly fragmented but offered even more growth opportunities than express. The problem for the company was finding the right sort of partners in order to pursue that growth.

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German government to make preliminary decision this summer on Postbank sale

Posted by | Jun 18, 2008 | |

The German government is expected to make a preliminary decision this summer with regard to the sale of Deutsche Post AG.’s banking unit Deutsche Postbank AG, according to a prerelease of Handelsblatt, citing government sources.

It said German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck will meet with Deutsche Post CEO Frank Appel in the summer and the latter is expected to inform the minister who should be the buyer of Postbank.

The state-owned development bank KfW Bankengruppe holds 30.50 percent stake in Deutsche Post, which in turn owns 50 percent plus one share in Postbank.

Handelsblatt said today Deutsche Post is expected to make an official invitation next week to interested parties to participate in the bidding process.

Deutsche Post and Postbank declined comment to the newspaper.

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